Industrial and other facilities may include monitor and/or control devices, such as gauges or glow tubes to track parts of processes or systems. Readings from such devices are periodically taken to ensure such processes/systems are operating as desired. This can consume considerable time and manpower.
Systems may be upgraded by replacing an entire device (e.g., gauge or glow tube) with a replacement device having a built in transmitting capability. A drawback to such an approach is that replacement of an entire gauge can be invasive. In the event the gauge is utilized in an active process, the process may have to be shut down entirely while the gauge is replaced with a transmitting unit. Further, once a transmitting unit is installed, such a unit may have to be independently tested to ensure it is transmitting a correct signal. In addition, a transmitting unit may require wiring from the transmitter to a central location. This can require additional labor, and assumes suitable wiring paths are available at the site.
Even overcoming these deficiencies, the replacement of the device may not be desirable, however. The operators of the facility often like to keep their equipment in as an original state as possible because they have several years of training and familiarity with the equipment.
What is therefore needed is a retrofit device that maintains the original device, while allowing automatic readings to be transmitted and the operators to independently read the device to confirm the operational status of the equipment.